Protective article for use by hairdressers



Jan. 10, 1956 F. B. FOSTER PROTECTIVE ARTICLE FOR USE BY HAIRDRESSERS Filed Sept. 1, 1953 ATTY United States Patent PROTECTIVE ARTICLE FOR USE BY HAIRDRESSERS Florence B. Foster, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,786

4 Claims. (Cl. 2174) This invention relates generally to devices for use by hairdressers, or by individuals in dressing the hair, for giving protection to the person receiving hair treatment, against accidental burns, discoloration or injury when hot combs, hot curling irons, chemicals, hair dyes, rinses, etc. are used.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel protecting shield which will eflectively cover the forehead along the hair line, the ears and the back of the neck, of a person for protection, as above set forth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated which is easily and quickly applied and removed and which will cling closely to the surface and completely enclose the ears, to give the maximum protection desired.

The invention generally comprises a pair of ear cups designed to completely encase the cars, a forehead shield adapted to fit across the forehead and conform to the contour thereof and having means for connecting its ends to said cups, and elastic connections between the cups to extend across the forehead and also to extend behind the neck for the purpose of holding the cups securely in position, and a neck covering and protecting apron connected to and supported by the ear cups.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view illustrating the application of the hair dressing protector shield embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the forehead shield and ear cups, showing attached to the cups, the ends of an elastic band which passes across the back of the neck.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the back of the neck protecting apron.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral designates two ear protectors or cups designed to enclose and protect the ears of the wearer. Each of these cups comprises a flat top or outer wall 12 which has an edge contour of U form through which is formed a small opening 14 to enable the wearer to hear.

The curved U-shaped edge of the wall 12 is defined by an outwardly sloping rim 16 and the edge of this rim joins a flat, outwardly projecting, U-shaped flange 18. The face of this flange has thereover a padding 18a which rests against the side of the head when a cup is placed over an ear. The front part of the wall 12 has disposed thereacross, on the inner side, a soft rubber barrier 20,

which closes the space between the ends of the rim 16. This barrier positions against the side of the face, in front of the ear and functions to prevent water entering the protector.

The numeral 25 generally designates the forehead shield which comprises an elongate strip of a material 26 of suitable heat resistent, non-absorbent and flexible character, each end of which is attached by a short section 27 of elastic, to a terminal tab 28. Each of these tabs is designed to be detachably connected to the top 12 of an ear cup at the straight transverse edge thereof, by a suitable means. The connecting means here illustrated comprises snap fasteners 29, one element of which may be carried by a cup and the other element by the tab 28.

As illustrated the forehead shield has an arcuate top edge 30 and a contoured lower edge 31. These edges are designed respectively to follow the hair line of the wearer and to fit closely against the forehead just above the eyes as shown in Figure l.

Adjacent to the top edge 30, the forehead shield is provided with several loops 32 which may be formed by forming parallel slits in the material, through which loops is extended an elastic cord or band 33. The ends of this band may be detachably connected to the rims 18 of the ear cups, by snap fasteners 34, which are spaced as shown for necessary adjustments.

As will be readily apparent the elastic band 33 is designed to extend across the forehead of the wearer and cooperating with this band to hold the ear cups 10 in position, is a similar back band 35 which is designed to extend across the back of the neck and which is attached at its ends as indicated at 36, to the outer ends of the ear protecting cups 10 by snap fasteners or hooks or other suitable elements.

In addition to the connections 34 and 36 for the elastic bands 33 and 35 respectively the rim of each cup 10 is provided with suitable means, such as the ball portion 37 of a snap fastener, for the attachment of a neck protecting shield or apron which is generally designated 38. This shield has a semi-circular top opening 39 in which the back of the neck fits and the upwardly extending side tabs 40 each of which carries the other element, here shown as the button or socket 41 of a snap fastener for coaction with the balls 37.

The apron 38 comprises the upper and lower portions 38a and 38b which are suitably shaped by shirring 42 to cause the shield to completely cover the shoulders of the wearer when the upper portion 38a is attached to the ear cups in the manner illustrated.

In the use of the device the cup like protectors 10 are placed in position over the ears and are shaped or con- 'structed to encase the ear when the top portion or helix of the ear is bent forward and downward thereby drawing it away from the head and holding it so that the hair in this area may be dressed without danger of burning, discoloring or injurying the ear.

It will be readily seen that when the forehead shield 25 is placed in position and the ear caps are connected by the front and rear elastic bands 33 and 35, the forehead shield will be tightly held against the forehead and the cups will also be held in ear covering and protecting position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided by the present invention a novel and effective means for completely protecting from injury a person receiving hair treatment of any kind.

I claim:

1. A protective article for use in dressing the hair comprising two cup members each to engage over an ear of the wearer, each cup member including a partial perimeter rim terminating in a flange to hold the bottom of the cup member away from the ear, a relatively wide elongated shield, means detachably coupling the ends of said shield to each cup member, an elastic cord substantially co-extensive with said shield and attached thereto, means detachably coupling the ends of said cord to said cup members, a second elastic cord and means for detachably coupling the ends of said second cord whereby with said cup members disposed over the ears of the wearer, said shield and first mentioned cord will extend across the forehead and said second cord across the back of the neck to hold said article in operative position on the wearer.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said shield comprises a major central portion of substantially non-elastic material, a relatively short elastic section connected to each end of said central portion, a coupling means for said shield connected to each elastic section and a series of longitudinally spaced slits in said shield adjacent the upper edge thereof and providing a series of loops, said first mentioned elastic cord being threaded through said loops to attach said cord to said shield and permit relative longitudinal movement.

3. The invention according to claim 1 in which the face of said flange is provided with a yieldable pad for contacting the head of the wearer adjacent the ear and a member of soft rubber secured to the ends of said rim and the bottom of said cup member to prevent entrance of water into said cup member.

4. A protective article as defined in claim 1 and including an apron comprising an upper portion having an arcuate upper edge and a relatively straight lower edge, a lower portion having a relatively straight shirred upper edge secured to the lower edge of said upper portion, said lower portion being flared to provide sufiicient fullness to said lower portion to cover the shoulders of the wearer, said arcuate upper edge having a curvature to substantially conform to the back of the neck of the wearer and means adjacent each end of said arcuate edge for detachably coupling said apron to said cup members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 165,273 Strausz July 6, 1875 869,741 Seitzman Oct. 29, 1907 1,988,011 Margolith Jan. 15, 1935 2,159,435 Gribben May 23, 1939 2,162,608 Davis June 13, 1939 2,600,392 Cancell June 17, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 828,207 France Feb. 7, 1938 

